Concrete plant.



E. L. RANSOME. OONGRBTE PLANT.v APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24, 1908.

Patented Jan. 25,' 1910.

-a sHEnTs-s31BET 1.

i niet E. L. RANSOME.

CONCRETE lPLANT. ArrLIoATIoN FILnD`JAN.z4,`1Q0a.

` Patented Jan 25,1910.

B. L. RANsoMB. GONGRETB PLANT.

APPLIOATION H LED JAH. 24, 1908.

Patent-)6d Jan. 25, 1910.

11 @Pda/doses vso UNiTED STATES Priifii'iivil OFFICE.

ERNEST L. RANsoiviE. or NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONCRETE PLANT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application tiled January, 24, 1908.

To allfwlz-om it may concern:-

' lic `it known that' l, ERNEST L. RAN-soirs, of' the .city of New York,`borough of Rich- 'i11onfl county vand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improve- Vments in Concrete Plants, of which the ol-- lowing` is a full, clear, and exact specification, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it. appertainsto make and use the same. I

My inventionrelates to an apparatus for handling andstoring the materials from.

which concrete mixtures are formed and it is especially adapted to b e erected at large concrete worksto ald in their construction,

It is so arranged that.I itl may be readily dis inantled and transported,` soA that after t-.he job is finished, theapparatus may be removed to and erected at a second job.

ln the construction of concrete works., such as the erection of concrete buildings, much 'inconvenience and expense is experienced iii the supply and handling of the sand, Grit,

gravel or stone which arenecessary parts oi 25 the concrete mixture. Heretofore'it was the general practice to dump these materialsl in several distinct,l piles and shovel and wheel them to the. concrete. mixer as required. Not. only (iid this practice involve the expenditure of a great deal ot labor, but, owing to the ditliculty of piling and storing the materials, the accumulation of large supplies was `impracticable. The, result ot'this was that there was always vdanger of the supply becoming temporarily exhausted, and a complete stoppageof the work occasioned.y "To thus stop the operations on ay large job often results in a great'loss to, the contractor.

lt is, therefore, the underlying obje'ct ot my present invention, to provide a. 'pla1itwhich will insure overcoming these difliculi ties and enable large supplies of'the 'in'aterials named to be Storedfand-liandled cheaply and expeditiously.l VIn' accomplishing this Lend, .provide for the materials being de^- .llveied to the-plantin railwaycais, wagons or'the like, dumped and carried indiserimi natelyinto, the 'boot ofari elevator, whether thematerial 'be sand, grit, gravel or stone.l .By this elevator the variousmaterial'svare ri'iisedfto distributing screens which l"sepa- A charged into hins,. The bins areadaptedtorate -ci" sort the materials and fromthese screens ,the'materials'fare' separately dis- Patented J ali. 25, 1910. serial No. 412,442.

supply the mixer and are4 so arranged that fall on the conveyer by which it is carried to the elevator. AWith. such a' plant the 4neces-1fsary materials may be delivered in any quan-- tributing or sepa-rating screens and from thence discharged into the bins. If these are full, the materials will overflow into the respective storage piles.v .The stock is' drawn at. will from thebiiis to supply' the mixer and should any -oiie -of the bins become empty, a certain quantityof the'stock is al-' I i lowed to' drop from the desired storage pile on to the coiiveyer by-which it is carried to the elevator and then raised to the screens which direct the material thus selected to its proper bin, replenishiiig the supply therein.

Cont-ractorsin concrete, workseek to seeure theirstock from the points nearest the job to save in transportation charges. Frequently, however, the most available stock is not of the best quality in that it requires washing to free it of loam and soluble and impure matter. This requires that the stock be washed before using it; and il is, therefore, a further object of i1iyii1\'eution to provide for the easy and inexpensive cleansing ofthe sand and other materials. For. this lpurpose I provide meansforfdischarging a supply ofwater on the screens flow down allume into a settling tank, in,

which the sand precipitated and from which the -water overfiows. bottom of theilume, Vby which the sand is raised. from the'tank and .discharged-into the sand' bin as explained.`

. l In winterwork, precaution must'be taken an elevator operates -ino ` Beneath the 65 tity and will be first elevatedto the .,dis-

-65 4, sons skilled 'in t e art. The elevator 17 is to prevent the moisture in the bins and storage piles' from freezing and I accomplish; this by utilizing steam from a boiler of.

the'plant to heat peculiarly arranged coils in the bins, and under. .the storage piles. Wai ,ter of condensation from -th'ese is' partly passed back into the boilerand artly tothe "-miire'r, the .warm water 'of con ensation in the mixer'acting to' prevent freezing therein as'. well as Afurnish the water necessary to v.the concrete mixture.

`Mypinvention 'involves various other featuresfof'im' ortance, which will clearly appear. fromt efollowing' description and all will be fully 4set'lforth hereinafter and be particularly pointed 'outin the claims.

f Referencel is had to' the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, asv .an example,

' j onenianner Qf'embodyingthe principles of Yzo tral pile to facilitate reachin ,able "cover of the 'conveyen Fig-..4 is a diagrammatic plan 'view of the heatingV sys- -t"em;'F ig. 5,-is a s'ectionthroughl one ofthe .my invention, in which drawings,

Figure 1 is anelevational section showing inl general outline'the arrangement of the plant; Fig. 2 .is a diagrammatic plan 'View of .the same.; Fig. 3 'is across section taken through the middle storage pile, showv ing one of t 'e binsand the manner iii 'which the material o verlio'ws therefrom onto `the .pile and Valso showing the tunnel in the centhe remov- ,:binsfpshowingthe-heating coil therein; and

Fig. 6 1s a diagrammatic section toshow gith'e incline in the coil for. 'heating the 'stor- :age piles,

In Figs.' 1 and 2, 10' indicates' a :railway ltrack on which dumping cars may be r'un to" deliverv the stock.; and the broken lines 11 indicate that' a driveway may be'built to allow teams and'nwagons to approach for deliveri'ng their contents. The materials thus delivered are`dum' ed into an open bottom hopperA 12 which' discharges Aupon thev horizontally dis osedconveyer 14.. 'The conveyerv is pr rably arranged in a trench be- 1o. w the' grade line and is/covered by removable boards-15 orl other equivalent means.

Said 7conveyer, lrunning inthe direction of thearroxjvin-l Fig. 1,' elivers the material into the boot 1610i -an 'elevator 17 The detaiis of,the elevator boot and indeed of Vvarious other elements lof4 the .appa-ratusare' not illustrated further than is necessary toan understandin -of my invention by perpreferably, 'though ,not necessarily, of the ucket'type4 and .discharges its contents onto.

. twoj'soi'feensl 18 andi-19 and a chute'20. These elements l'18, 19 and 20y arej'inclinedg-and -superimposed iii the o'rder named and by preferenceyhavelcurtains 21 of sheet metal or.other material to prevent escape ofthe .the lower ori'discha'rge lend ofthe chute 2O4 ,stone or gravel and are so is arranged an upwardly and outwardly inclined wall 22 which extcndsfto'tlie outei' eiid ofthe screen 1). From the ends of the screens 18 and 19 chutes 23 and 24 lead as shown. The screen 18. is of larger mesh than' the screen 19 and is adapted to' carry the rock and gravel into the chute 23, while the sand and grit are allowed to fallthrougli the screen 19; This latter screen carries the grit to the chute 24 `r but allows the sand to, fall through to the chiite .20.v It will, therefore, appear that by this ariningement the indiscriminately mixed materials raised byl the elevator 17 are automatically separated and each directed to theirvrespective chiites.

The position of the concrete mixer 25 is shown iii- Figs. 2 and 3 and in all of the views the bins 26, 27 and 28vv are shown.

These binsaie, according to the specific em.-

bodiinent of vthe invention here shown,

adaptedl respectively t'orthe sand, 4giitand placed. that the inclination of their bottoms is such that the 'materials will always run down the bins' Iunder the most 'adverse conditions. Attheir lowerA ends the bins are provided with gates 29, 30 and 31 which 'when closed will retain the various materials in 'the bins in the placel of one side of the angle of repose, while the chutes 23, 24 and20 are arranged to discharge into the bins at the opposite side of --the said angle. This is shown in Fig. 3, and from such arrangement itfollows that the material falling lfrom thechntewill-first enter exclusively into the bin, filling the same rial falling on the other or left hand side of the angle (see Fig. 3) is deflected oi' caused to flow along said left.- haiid side ol the angle 4 .to the interior and allow removal ot the planks 15 to drop the grit onto the convevcr 111. A gate of any desired sort may be provided at the inner end of the tunnel to prevent excessive flow olt th'mgrit and by means of which the opera-tor may drop the :quantity of grit desired. The planks .for the sand and gravel oi' rook are removedrespectively from the outer 'sides oi the piles 32 and'34. When, therefore, the material whateveril:l may be, is delivered to the plant', itis dumped intothc hopper l12 and from this fallsupon 'the'conveyer 14, which in 'turn discharges 'into the boot 1G of the elevator 17. By means of the'eleva'tor the material is raised to the screens and automatically sepay rated. The chutes carry the stock to the biiistand .the surplusis deposited onto thel 'to the angle of repose after which the inate.-

storage piles. i Should the delivery be .de-`

layed or' fall short and the bins become .einpty, it is only necessary to remove one or more-ofthe c onveyer,1ali) eonveyer 14 which` carries it to the 'boot of lanks -15 or other covers ofthe owing the stock to fall to the the elevator and distributes it as Abefore ex- For 'washing thestocrk', particularly the'- sand, a water pipe 36 is run up alongside the elevatorll? and provided' :it-lits' upper end .with a vspray head 37.1'roni which the water overtlowsfonto the screens 18 and 1.9 and the 'chute 20. `The water falls with tlieinaterials Aand washes the same. The grit and gravel 'separate themselves from.the'water'by the nature of things, but the sand Washes down the chute 20- with the water.

At the -discharge end of the. chiite is arranged a gate which is reversible from tlre position 'shown infbroken lines inilig 1 to that shown by full lines. 'lVhen `in the position shown by broken lines, the. sandis discliargeddirectly'into the bin 26, but when 'in tlieposition shown by fulllines the gate del tleetsgthe sand intov a flume 39. It is this latter position which the. gate ismade to assumewhen the water is flowing, so that the 'i 'sand and water tiow down the flume 39 to a 30 tank'40'in which the sand is precipitated, the-water overflowing through an outlet 41.

YBelow the. bottoni ot'the tiunie 39 is a conveyer 42 of anyrapproved typeby which the sand. is elevated from-the tank and carried. Ainto the bin 26. Vthen washing'is not re- Vthat which supplies steam to the engine operating thei-'arimis elevators or conveyors.

From the boiler a steam pipe 43 passeslto a header 44 froinwlii'ch coils 45 extend into the bins, the returns of the coils passing to a return header-46 with which eoi'nmunicates a return', pipe 4.7 to the boiler. Since" the steam pressure is balanced on each side, thewater of eondensationavill run -by gravity back into the boiler, the heating coils, return 1 in the bins aretkept. ,from fijeezingandtheir. easyinovementinto the mixer insured;4 To

preventfre'ezingat the bottoms of the .stor-'. age piles apcoil 4T is arranged therein on va header vand pipe heilig above Vthe level ofthe boiler.Y B y these vheating coils, the materials slight' incline'as shown in Fig.-6 and-con'- Vjn'ec'ted by a steam pipe 48 with the,` boiler 42.l Owing the inclination of theooil 47" the.

' ters latent'of the UnitedStates is:

water of condensation runs to the .lower end and is received by [a return pipe 4t) whleh has branches .50and 51 leading respectively to asu'pply tank 52 for the mixer 25 and thev feed pl'imp1-53jof1the boilerf The branch pipes 50 and 51` a i'eprovidedjwitlivalves 54' at will. Toprevent freezing iii the, space- Vand so tliateitl'ier orV both may be opened I iiiclosed bythe screens 18' and 19 and chute 20, the smoke pipeff of thelhoiler furnace is;

extendedthrough'the curtains .21 immedi- 'ately above the chiite 20,4 as indicated in Figs. 1 Vand.4. These leviees allow ofthe nsco'f ample water in freezing weather witha out danger of frost and the.warnifwater of condensation supplied to th'e mixer serves a similar purposer therein.

Having thus described iny invention, what Iclaim as new and desire to seeureby Let..-

1`. The combination in a plantsiieh as described, ot' an elevator, a bin of limited capacityinto whichmaterial from the elevatoi isv dischargedvv and from which .the excess material overflows into a storage' )ile and storage pile to'said-elevator,

. 2.' The eombination in a. plant such as de# scribed, of an elevator. -a separating means,

separate bins into" which the separating means discharge and from wliielitlie excess materials overflow' to storage .piles and means for conveying the materials from the storage piles to said elevator.

The combination .in aplant 'such as de- 'scribed,of an elevator, a. bin o f limited capacity into which material .from the elevator is discharged and .from 'which the excessv material overflows into av4 storage pile-and means extending iiiidei'-tlie storage pile to convey the materials from the jsaiiie to said elevator. .i

4..' The combination in a plant suchas described, of an elevator, a bin of liii-iited'eaiacity into which material from the elevatorA is discharged and from which the excess niameans extending under' tlie'storage-pile to Vnieans'foi" Yconveying' the material rom the -terial overliows .into 'a storage pile and` convey the material from the4 Sanie'to said elevator, such means eomprisingan endless conveyer operating liorizontall The combination in a plant suoli as described, of an elevator, ja bin in't'ov which nia- :terial from, the elevator nis'. discliargedand from f-whicli' emessi-.material overflows nto a storage pil'efa-nd -me'ans` extending under the storage pile to convey the material from the. `same tosaidielevator', siichgniea'ns .Corn pri'sing anend'les's :onveyeroperating hor' i-.

zontall. 'ina' trench formed therefor.

A16p-T ie vcombination -in-a plant 'sii'ch'as' de-f scribed of an elevator, abili into which ni'ate. .rial .from 'thef elevator ,is dischargedland -froni which such materiaboverlows .into 'a'f" .s torage pile, means extending under the A` storage pile to convey thei'naterial from'fthe same to the elevator, such means. comprising au endless conveye'r; operating horizontally fin a trench formed therefor, anda sectionally removable cover over said trench for the purpose specified.

- the said cover.

i i 5p in the plane of one vside'o'f theangle 'of re.4 pose, the upper end of theA bin 'beiiigopenso that' materialsinay overflow/therefrom Aalongfthe, opposite side of theangle -ofre- 7. The combination iii aplant such as described, of an elevator, as eparating .inc aus, biusiuto which the separati-ng means discharge and freni which the materials overflow to aliued storage piles and means for conveying theimatei'ials Aroiiithe storage piles to the elevator, comprising a conveyer running horizontally in-a, trench therefor under the .storage piles.

8. The combination in a lant'such as de- P. scribed, ot an elevator, a4 separating means,

bins into which theseparatin'g means .discharge and from which the materials overflow to storage piles, means for conveying the materials'from the storage piles to the' `elevator com rising a conveyei running horizontally un er'the storage piles, andavsec-V tion'ally removable cover over said conveyer for the purposespecified.

9i The combination in a plantsiichas described, of an elevator, v iisep'zirating` means, bins kint.o wliic`h .the separating means dis charge andl from which the materials ,over

flow to storage piles, means for conveying the materials from-the storage piles' tothe elevator com rising a conveyer runningliori- A zoiitally un er the storage piles, a Sectionally removable clover over said conveyor for the .purpose specified, 'and a tunnel lformed under one pile to enable access to' be had to.

10. The combination in'a` plant such as described of aninclined storage bin willi 'its bottoni iii'cliiiedfsharpe'r. than the angle of re-poseand adapted to fill with the upper,

surface of its contents inthe plane of one side of the angle of repose, thel upper end of the bin being open so that materials may overflow therefrom along the opposite side of the angle of repose and means for chargiiigthe bin, such means delivering vthe material Vou said opposite- 'side'of the' angle of repose. I

` l1. The corrbination -a plant ,such als'.

described of' an inclined storage bin adapted 4to fill with the upper surface of its contents pose, and means for charging the bir i ,such

means delivering .the material on saidfopf' f posite side ofA the angle-of repose.' .12. The combination in ajplant such asV described of an inclined storage bin adapted to fill with the upper surface 'of-its contents inthe plane of one side' of the angle of pose the upper fend 'of the binl being openand v,its side edges disposed jinj the 'opposite to fill with the uppersiirface of'its contents l ,in the plane of one side of the angle of repose .and the .edges of walls ofxthe bin bev7 5 in'g dis osed in the opposite side-of the 'angle o .'repose', and means abovesaid bin and upon said opposite side of the angle for chargingsaid bin whereby the contents of the bin overliow alongsueh-opposite side of i such angle.

14. The combination in a plant such as described, -of an inclined storage bin and charging means above the same adapted to ill'said bin with the upper snrfaceof its 85 lcontents in theplane of'one side of the angle 'of repose and the edges' of -walls of the bin being disposedin the opposite side ofthe angle of repose, whereby the 'contents of the bin overflow along such opposite side '90- ;of su'cli angle` said charging means delivering the material on said opposite side of the angle of repose.

' 15. .In -a'plant such as describedthe conibinatioii of an elevator, a horizontally dis- 95 ,posed eonveyer located in-a trench and leading to' said elevator, a` tunnel extending transversely o the trench and' means con-A trollable from the interior of the tunnel to admit material from .above the tunnel to the conveyer. i

16. Ina plant such as described, the combination of an' elevator, a horizontallyY disposed conveyer leading thereto, means acilitatiijig dumping materials onto the. con.- .105

Y veyei', a `separator*means and vstorage bins respectively .supplied from. the divisions of the separatormeans, such bilis being open at their upper ends and arranged so that the materials overiow Vinto storage piles above the said conveyer.

" 17. In a plant such as describechithecombiiiatioii ofan elevator, a horizontally disposed conveyenleading thei'eto,`meaus facilitating dumping materials onto theV con- -veyer, a' separator means and storage bins respectively supplied from the divisions of the Separator means and from which the Vmaterials overflow into storage piles above .the saideonveyena 'washing flume leading 12( from one; ofthe divisions of the separator,- anjelevatorserving to return the solid inateiialifroi'n thefbottom of the -flume land a l gate adjustable at will to connect orY disconneet the fiume with 'or from saiddivision of 12': lthe' separator. f

L '1 -8.. In a plantsuch as described, the coinbination'fofl a' chute, a washing means at the .'inouth. thereof, astorageV bin also at .the iiiiouthl thereof, an elevator for returning the 131 v94.73599.. -A y 3.

` solid materials toia point adjacent to the mouthof the chute and means wherebythe chute may be connected with the storage bin or washing means alternately at will.

'19, Ina plant such as described, the eomy binaton of a chute, a washing means at Vthe be connected-with the storage bin or7 theY mouth thereof, a storage. bm also at the mouth thereofanfelevator for. returningY thesolid material toga point adjacenty to the mouthof the chute and a reversible gate constituting means whereby the chute may washing means alternately at will.

'. the washing means alternately at will, such ing means.

2Q. In a plant such as described, the 'combination of a chute, a washing means at the mouth thereof, a storage bin at the mouth thereof, an elevator for returning the solid materials to a point adjacent .to the mouth of the chute and means whereby. the chute may be connected with the storage bin'or washing means comprising a flume and a settling 'basin at the lowenend thereof into.

which basin the said elevatorextends.

21. In a plant such as described, the'comandan elevator extendingfrom the basin to the bin.

22. The .combination in a plant such. as described of a bin the bottom of which is inclined downward and the upper end of which is open, said bin adapted to fill wit-h the upper surface of the material therein lying in one side of the angleV of repose of such material and a charging me'ans f or the bin located wholly over the bottom of'the bin at its up )er end, but on the other side of the angle o repose, whereby after'the bin fills to the angle of repose, it overflows alongv said other side of such angle. A

23. The combination ina plant such as described of a bin the bottom of 4which is inclined downward and the upper endV of which is open, said bin adapted to fill with th'e upper surface of the material therein lying in oneside of the angle of repose 'of such material, a charging means for the bin located wholl overthe bottom of the bin at its upper endl; but on the othersidelof the angle of repose, whereby after the Ybin 'fills to the angle of repose, it overflows along said 'other side of such angle and means for returning thc overfiow material to the charg- Y'24. In -comblnation Va plurality of bins` each of limited ca aeit and each havin a delivery outlet an@ a fi ling o ening, an e e- Y vator for filling said bins an means for returninar tothe elevator-material overflowing from tlie filling'openings. Y

25. I n comblnation an inclined bin of limited'capacit-y having a delivery outlet adjacent the bottom, an elevator delivering material to the top ofsa-id'bin to fill the same to overflowing, the overflow forming-a storage pile at one side of and beneath the bin and means for conveyin the material -fr`om thestorage pile to the e evator to refill the' .bin as the material isused from thelatter.

' 26. In combination a bin, means for with- Y drawing from the lower portion thereof,

the contained material when' desired for use,

an elevator operating to deliver .material tosaid bin and means for conveying back to the elevator the material which overflows from deliveringthe separated materials to theirA respective bins and a conveyer for returning to said elevator'excess material overflowing from said bins.

28. In combination a plurality of-bins forV different materials, a receiver and a mixer to which said bins deliver independently, an

elevator, separatin means forreceiving maf terials from said e evator and dellverm the yseparated materials to their respective ins.

29. In combination aplurality of bins for different materials, va mixer to which said bins deliver inde endently, a separator for- 'eceivine' materia s-and delivering the se )al' D D rated materials to their respective bins and V -means for returning to said se rator excess material overflowing vfrom sai bins.

30. In combination a plurality of blns nor-V mally storing limited' quantities of different materials'and all deliveripg to a common point, a separator for receiving material and .delivering dlfferent constltuents to their res ectlve bins and means for returning to' sai separator excessmaterial overfiowing from said bins. i p

31. 'In combination an elevator' ,for mate'- rials mixed in unknown or varying proportion, a separator for receivin the materials and separating them into their constituents, separate bins receivingtlie separate constituents and a mixer receiving' and uniting material from said bins in known proportions.

In testimony whereof'I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.'

v ERNEST L. RANSOME. Witnesses:

ISAAC B. OwENs E. I. McLAUoHLIN. 

